Collaboration for education: Motlanthe

The quality of education can be improved through partnerships between various groups, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said in Pretoria on Tuesday.

   

"Today's occasion represents a high-point in the collaboration between government and non-governmental organisations representing labour, parents, business, and other education sector stakeholders," he said at the launch of the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT).

   

"Nothing can be more important than the responsibility of providing education to all children, with the aim of optimally developing their latent talents."

   

The NECT was established to achieve the targets set out in the National Development Plan.

   

There are four patrons of the trust. They are national planning commission deputy chairman Cyril Ramaphosa, former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Leadership SA president Bobby Godsell, and former National Union of Mineworkers' president James Motlatsi.

   

The trust would help monitor and evaluate performance in identified districts over the next 10 years.

   

"We... wish to commend and congratulate the trust for taking this bold step and we look forward to working with you.

   

"Like you, we believe that both the government and the non-governmental groupings have a common goal of improving the quality of education, but do not as yet share a common understanding of the roles that they expect of each other or have to play towards achieving this common goal," Motlanthe said.

   

-Sapa